Madrid (DailyExpertNews) — Half a dozen people, including a 30-year-old man from the American city of Atlanta, were taken to hospital after the first bull run in three years started in Pamplona, Spain.
None of the six were stung by a bull during the run, the Navarra regional government news agency told DailyExpertNews on Thursday.
The American suffered a broken left arm, while the other five injured, four men and a 16-year-old woman, all Spaniards, were sent to hospital with various traumatic injuries, the press service said.
Revelers race during the bull run at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona on July 7.
Vincent West/Reuters
The first San Fermin festival since 2019 kicked off on Wednesday and drew huge crowds to the streets of the Spanish city.
Thousands gathered in front of Pamplona City Hall to celebrate the opening of the nine-day celebration, which is popular with tourists. The annual festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thursday was the first day of the Running of the Bulls, a tradition dating back centuries and made world famous by Ernest Hemingway’s novel “The Sun Also Rises”, also published under the title “Fiesta”.
Thousands have flocked to Pamplona’s iconic festival, which kicked off on Wednesday.
Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
The controversial event has long been criticized by animal rights activists, with dozens of people seen protesting in Pamplona on Tuesday wearing dinosaur costumes.
At least 39 were injured at the festival – with three impaled – in 2019
The running of the bulls will continue at 8 a.m. local time until July 14.
Top image credit: Ruben Albarran/Pressinphoto/Icon Sport/Getty Images